Judy Taylor
There’s still a hunting dog in him: the Patterdale Terrier will happily pursue small animals whenever given the opportunity.
The Nature of The Patterdale Terrier
Because of this, he needs to be leashed on those long walks or hikes that he absolutely needs every day. Once his hunting instinct is awakened, nothing will stop him. He then studiously ignores whistling or shouting back. Even a fence is not necessarily an obstacle. If left alone in the garden, it will quickly burrow under if it identifies something passing as prey.
The owner of this energetic four-legged friend needs a lot of time and patience. The Patterdale Terrier wants to please his mistress or master, but only shows attention for a short period of time and then prefers to follow his own ideas. In order to educate him, the owner has to show extreme stamina, because you don’t get very far with particularly strict methods. Then the Patterdale Terrier switches to stubborn – and nothing works anymore.
In general, he is also a bit moody and can sometimes behave very rudely, especially towards strangers. However, his distrust has the advantage that he also makes an excellent watchdog, reacting to the slightest noise and to approaches with loud barks. He usually gets along well with other dogs but becomes aggressive when bored to challenge his fellow dogs to a fight.
Cats and rodents should ideally not live in the same household – keyword hunting instinct. On the other hand, he loves children and prefers to play with them for hours. Generally, the confident Patterdale Terrier is very affectionate with his family, and – once he cools his hot temper on a long walk or a dip in the lake, which he enjoys greatly – he also becomes gentle and cuddly. However, one should never underestimate his urge to move and his love of freedom.
Traits of the Patterdale Terrier
The Patterdale Terrier reaches a size between 25 and 38 centimeters and a weight between 6 and 12 kilograms. He has a short coat that can be either straight or wiry – and comes in black, red, gray, black and tan, or bronze.
Care Instructions
Despite the short fur, the Patterdale Terrier loses a relatively large amount of hair. If you don’t want them flying around your home, you should brush them every day.
Historical Development
The Patterdale Terrier owes its name to the place of the same name in the northern English National Park of the Lake District in the county of Cumbria. One of the older terrier breeds was bred specifically to track down and kill foxes, rats, and rabbits.
